Foldable back rest



Dec, 6, 1949 K. G. GARDNER 2,490,297

FOLDABLE BA CKRES '1 Filed Oct. 28, 1947 Patented Dec. 6, 1949 FOLDABLE BACK REST Kenneth G. Gardner, Quincy, Mass., assignor of one-half to Peter G. Gardner, Quincy, Mass.

Application October 28, 1947, Serial No. 782,622

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a foldable backrest particularly adapted for use on bleacher seats. These seats would be reasonably comfortable if provided with back supports and the primary object of my invention comprises the production of a relatively simple and detachable backrest for serving this purpose. My improved backrest embodies a plurality of links so pivoted together that they can be closed to compact carrying position or opened to a position providing a backrest support. Two of the links are provided with seat engaging jaws adapted to cooperate with a third and opposing jaw for clamping the backrest to a seat and supporting it firmly in back supporting position thereon. The production of a new and improved backrest of this nature comprises a further object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved backrest clamped in working position on a bleacher seat,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the backrest in open position, and.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the backrest in closed and carrying position.

Referring more specifically to the drawing by reference characters, If] indicates two links pivoted together adjacent to their bottom ends on a bolt l2. Two cooperating links M are pivotally jointed at 15 at their inner ends and pivotally connected at their outer ends I6 to the top ends of the links ID, the four links cooperating to provide a backrest frame as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The bottom ends of the links I!) are bent outwardly at l8 to provide two seat engaging arms or jaws and cooperating with these two arms is a third arm 20 mounted on the pivot bolt l2. The arms are adapted to slide over and engage the rear marginal portion of a bleacher seat 22 and tightly to grip the seat when the links 10 are pivoted outwardly. When not in use the backrest is adapted to be folded to the compact carrying position illustrated in Fig. 4 in which the two links M are disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel with the links 10.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A detachable backrest comprising a back supporting frame including a pair of links, a pivot bolt connecting the links adjacent two ends thereof, two seat engaging arms rigid with and extending laterally of the frame from said ends of the links, and a third arm carried by said bolt and disposed in spaced relation to and substantially parallel with said arms, said two arms and said third arm being adapted to grip the rear marginal portion of a seat therebetween and support the frame in upright position at said portion.

2. The backrest defined in claim 1 plus pivotally jointed back supporting means pivotally connected to the other two ends of said links.

3. A detachable backrest comprising a frame embodying a plurality of links pivoted together adjacent to their ends, two seat engaging arms rigid with and extending laterally of the frame from two adjacent ends of two of said links beyond a pivot bolt connecting said two links, and a third arm carried by said bolt and disposed in spaced relation to and substantially parallel with said two arms, said two arms and said third arm being adapted to grip the rear marginal portion of a seat therebetween and support the frame in upright position at said portion.

4. The back rest defined in claim 3 comprising four links pivoted together and in which the two links remote from said pivot bolt are pivotally removable from a back carrying position adjacent to and substantially parallel with the other two links and to an open back supporting position remote from the other two links.

KENNETH G. GARDNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,021,242 Reyniers Nov. 19, 1935 2,324,570 Figgins July 20, 1943 2,383,041 Campbell Aug. 21, 1945 

